Hare Krishna,
It is recommended that the food offered to Krishna should not be tasted before offering while cooking.
But there might be instances that after offering when we take prasadam , the food may have some spices specially salt not in appropiate proportion which may make the food unedible. How can we risk offering Krishna such untasty food ?
There are many preparations whose spices if not given appropiately at the time of cooking becomes unedible. It is a difficult task for many people mainly for neophyte cooks who cooks on weekends for Krishna. What is the solution for this?
Replies
Hare Krishna Prabhu:
Please just use recipes made by ISKCON devotees. That way there will NO chance of using too many spices in your dishes. Here is a website full of good recipes. <food.krishna.com>
-Bhakta Sekou
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
When we do some devotional service we have to do it knowing that we are only instruments in the hands of our Guru and Krishna.
Krishna eats that food which is cooked by Shrimati Radharani. When we cook She is our Guru and we have to act as Her servant. When we put salt or other spices we have to pray for Her to help us to make the food tasty for the pleasure of Her Master.
Also Sekou Prabhu nicely mentioned: if we use already experienced recipes then taste will be normal.
Or else You can keep salt, pepper, sugar ...in separate cup so that if food is not salty enough They will take it from the cup.
But in the reality salt or any other spicy does not make food tasty but LOVE - desire to please Krishna.
Your servant,
Dear Prabhu:
If you strictly follow prasadam recipes created by ISKCON devotees, then there should be no need at all to taste your food. Remember that when Vaishnava's cook, we cook for Sri Lord Krishna's pleasure. We must, therefore, be vigilant as we prepare His meals.
Some reliable prasadam recipes are at the following website: (http://food.krishna.com/)
You can also buy the books "The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet" and "Quick Vegetarian Dishes", both of which are packed with prasadam recipes made by expert, ISKCON chefs who know what spices to use and how much to use. Haribol and All Glories unto Srila Prabhupada!
-Bhakta Sekou
Hare Krishna prabhuji
Dandwat pranam
Here only the devotion of the devotee is tested by Krishna. If you are serious devotee of Krishna you would follow all rules and regulations of offerings and make delicious prasadam altogether. Devotee may cook food by smelling and judging the spices and their quantities to be used by just smelling. This is a technique of preparing food which is already used by devotees. And if a person really want to serve Krishna then he/she would learn nice techniques to prepare delicios as well as healthy prasadam.
These can be learnt from senior devotee cooks or matajis(here also devotees' association is required).
And one more thing Siddharth prabhuji, we cannot copy Shabari mataji because she was a great devotee of Lord and we cannot have the bhaav,which she had. Srila Prabhupada has instructed us that we shouldn't copy pure devotees rather we must follow their path.So we must consider Shabari mataji's eagerness to serve Krishna best, rather offering tasted fruits to Lord.
your servant
Ashish